Physical-development shoe



1,637,565 2 4 A. GORDON PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT SHOE Filed Nov. 15. 1926 INVENTOR H. L. Gordon BY 0* ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 2, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM L. GORDON, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

PHYSICAL-DEVELOPMENT anon.

Application fled nmmber is, me. Serial No. 143,179.

moval of one or more weighted members,-

substantially in the form of a loose sole, with means to retain the open side of the II compartment closed, whereby the compartment may be opened to permit the insertion of one or-more weighted members according to the weight that it is desired shall be used for exercising, and whereby the shoe U may be used without a weight in the compartment if desired.

My invention comprises novel details of improvement that will be more fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the II claims.

Reference is to 'be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein Fig. 1 is a side view of a shoe embodying I my invention; I

Fig. 2 is a side view illustrating the compartment open for the insertion or removal of the weighted members;

Fig. 3 is a cross section substantially on line 3, 3, in Fig. 2, and

Fi 4 is a perspective view of one of the weighted members.

Similar numerals of reference indicate correspondin parts in the several views.

At 1 is in icated a shoe which," generally, may be of any suitable construction, being shown of the lace-shoe variety having laces 2 for retaining the shoe closed upon a persons foot. The lower or utsole 3 may be of any desired construction, attached to the upper 1 by means of stitching, as indicated at 4, and provided with a sole member 3 on the sole 3 and stitched. thereto at 3 ,An in-sole 5 may also be attached to the upper by stitching along one side at 4. The upper and the in-sole are free from the out-sole at one portion, whereby a compartment 6 is provided between said soles within which one or more detachable weighted members or inserts 7 may be placed. In the example illustrated the upper is disconnected from the out-sole for a suitable distance along one side of the shoe providing an opening at 8 communicating with the compa'rtment 6. I have shown the opening 8 of such dimension as to permit; the weighted member or members 7 readily to be inserted into and removed from the compartment 6. The members 7 may be of any desired con tour and preferabl are substantially j the shape of the out-so e, eicept that they are of smaller dimension than the lattefso as readily to fit within the com artment 6. a

The weighted members will be etween the wearers foot and the out-sole. The weighted members 7 may be made of lead soas to be of the desired weight in accordance with the area and thickness thereof [for each member, and are pliable.

I provide means to secure the edges along the opening 8 of compartment 6 closed. when r the member or members 7 arethereinto re tain them in the compartment. Any'suitable closing means for the opening 8 may be provided. I have shown'kthe variety of closure comprising interengageable teeth 9,

10 secured to the edges of strips of fabric 11, 12, stitched respectively along thefedges' of the material at the margins of the 6 ening 8, and a die member 13 slidable aong the teeth for enga in and disenga ing them, commonly ca le zi rs, Yhen the die 13 is moved to the le tin 1 the teeth will be caused to engage fastenthe' edges of compartment 6 together to iietain the member 7 therein, and whenthedie is pulled to the right in Fig. l the teeth will e disengagedto release theedges "of the,

compartment so that it may be' o ened to permit the insertion and remova of the weighted member 7, as indicatedin Fi'gl 2;

The construction of fasteningdoes not Jinterfere withthe use of the shoe nor, with the flexibility of the sole, althoughithe.

ing means is shown along the edge portion of the sole.

The shoesmay be worn in anordinary'way and the weighted members or inserts 7 may be inserted inor removed from: compartment 6 according to the kind ofexercisesftobe performed and according to-priog'reSs being made. With the shoes upon. the lwearefls feet, and weighted as desired, lie mayex en cise his legs in various ways .Whilein stand-1 ing position, and one of the advantages is been that while the wearer is lying on his back he may swing his legs in various directions, up and down and criss-cross, and overhead, whereby extra strain will be placed upon the muscles for exercising and strengthening them, having effect on the calf, thigh, hip, leg and abdominal muscles, serving to stimulate and strengthen such muscles as are calledinto play beyond the ordinary degree. As the strength of the muscles becomes increased the weights may be added to the shoe from time to time. For instance, if each member or insert 7 weighs one pound a person may start to exercise with one of such members in'each shoe and after a time, as the muscles strengthen, he may add another member within the compartment of the shoe, and soon progressively. The shoes with the weighted members also are useful for exercising the muscles in walking and running, and will be found advantageous for athletes to strengthen the leg muscles and for gymnastic and other physical culture exercises. An advantage is that the weighted members 7 may be quickly inserted, removed and replaced according to the exercises to be performed, while the shoes remain upon the eet, because it will be simply necessary to unfasten the side of the compartment 6, re-

move or insert one or more members 7 and refasten the edges of the compartment to retain the members therein. By removing the weighted membersthe shoes may be worn like ordinary gymnasium or athletic shoes.

My invention is not Iimitedto the details 'of construction set :forth, as the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention. For instance, instead of having the opening 8 for the compartment 6 alon one side of the shoe the opening may fong the heel or the toe portion of the shoe with appro riate fastening means to detachably retain t e edges of the compartment ing closed to retain the weighted members within the shoe upon the out-sole.

2. A shoe having a compartment located adjacent to its out-sole and provided with an opening in one side for admission into said compartment, one or more weighted members adapted to be inserted into said compartment to add weight to the shoe, and means to detachably retain edges of the opening closed for retaining the members in the compartment.

3. A shoe having an out-sole and an insole separated and providing a compartment therebetween, said compartment havin an opening along the sole, one or more weig ted members substantially conforming to the shape of the sole adapted to be inserted into and removed from the compartment for weighting the shoe, and means to'detachably retain the edges of the opening closed for retaining the member or members within the compartment.

4. A shoe having an upper, an out-sole and an in-sole, the in-sole'and the out-sole being free from each other along a portion of the shoe providing a compartment having an opening, one or more weighted members comprising flat pliable material to be inserted into said compartment to increase the weight of the shoe, and means to detachably retain the edges of the opening closed for retaining the members within the compartment.

5. A shoe comprising an upper, an out-sole and an in-sole, said soles being secured to the upper except along a portion of the out-sole providing a compartment between said soles having an opening, one or more weighted members comprising flat pliable m aterial substantially conforming to the shape of the soleto be inserted into the compartment for weighting the shoe, and means to detachably connect the edge portions of said opening to detachably retain the weighted members in said compartment.

6. A removable insert for a shoe comprising a relatively thin pliable metallic member having a shape substantially conforming to the contour of the shoe sole adapted to be inserted in the shoe-over the out-sole, said insert having suflicient weightto cause exercise of the wearers muscles.

ABRAHAM L. soRDoN. 

